Department for Transport

Ports

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that ports in the UK (1) remain cost-effective destinations for global container shipping services, and (2) remain able to serve the needs of British exporters and importers, taking into consideration (a) any increase in the average size of container vessels, (b) shipping lines’ rationalisation of port calls, and (c) the reduction in the number of shipping lines serving ports in northwest Europe.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As an island nation 95% of the UK’s imports and exports arrive via our ports and by sea. The UK’s economy, plus its dependency on imports, mean that the UK will remain a destination for shipping irrespective of cost, and consisting of either direct traffic, or transhipped. The highly competitive, private sector UK ports market offers cost effective, attractive and reliable services, undertaking significant commercial investment to do so. A number of UK ports have made large investments to cater for the biggest container vessels, and to improve services to handle growing vessel sizes across a variety of markets. Larger vessels mean fewer direct port calls, but a broadly similar level of freight being handled. Managing this remains a commercial matter for ports and shipping companies.

Air Traffic

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of theincrease in air traffic over the next (1) 10 years, (2) 20 years, and (3) 30 years; what sources of information were used as the basis for any such forecasts; and what plans they have to revise those forecasts further to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: ‘UK Aviation Forecasts 2017’ is still our latest forecast. Its aim is to provide a strategic longer-term, instead of short-term, view on demand growth over the next few decades. The current level of uncertainty makes the production of a new long-term forecast unfeasible at present. For the shorter term, we are proactivity monitoring the current/evolving situation and engaging regularly with the industry on their forecasts and will consider updates to the long term model when it is practical to do so. Observed UK aviation passenger and Air Transport Movement demand is based primarily on data from the Civil Aviation Authority. The forecast of this demand is determined by key drivers, such as GDP and fares, and the estimated relationships between such drivers and passenger demand. Detailed information can be found in the published UK Aviation Forecasts 2017 on DfT’s website.

Aviation: Travel Restrictions

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of occasions whereairlines have chosen to operate a flight contrary to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice in each of the last five years; andwhat assessment they have made of the impact on the rights of consumers or tour operators to receive a refund if they cancel their booking for the flight concerned.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The operation of flights is a commercial decision for individual airlines and the department does not monitor this. Where a consumer has cancelled a booking, their right to a refund will depend on the contract in place with the airline or travel provider. The Government keeps consumer rights under constant review and has encouraged industry to act fairly, particularly during this current crisis.

Leader of the House of Lords

Leader of the House of Lords: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are in theOffice of the Leader of the House of Lordsat (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: In line with reporting protocol and for disclosure control purposes, figures are suppressed where base headcounts include less than five individuals. BAME figures for the Leader of the Lords office cannot be disclosed.

House of Lords: Government Bills

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they make any assessment of the estimated costs arising from an amendment agreed to by the House of Lords to a Government Bill; and if so, (1) how, and (2) whether they publish that estimate.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The government does not always make an assessment of the costs arising from a non-government Lords amendment. If it is relevant to the question of whether a money resolution will be needed in the House of Commons, the government may provide an assessment to the Clerk of Legislation in the House of Commons to assist him in the advice he gives to the Speaker. Communications between the government and the Clerk are not published, but if the government has made an assessment, it may be published in the explanatory notes to the Lords Amendments.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Employment: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and CommerceWho is at risk? Work and automation in the time of COVID-19, published in October.

Lord Callanan: The Government is currently considering the report and continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the UK labour market.The £30bn Plan for Jobs announced by my Rt. Hon friend the Chancellor of the Exhequer in July will protect, support and create jobs as part of our response to coronavirus. Among the measures included, we have committed at least £2 billion for a Kickstart Scheme that will directly pay employers to create new jobs for any 16 to 24-year old at risk of long-term unemployment, a further £3bn to support 140,000 green jobs, and trebling the number of sector-based work academy placements in England, in order to provide vocational training and guaranteed interviews for more people, helping them gain the skills needed for the jobs available in their local area.As announced in the Queens’ Speech, we will be bringing forward an Employment Bill to implement a range of Manifesto commitments. This legislation will ensure that we have an employment framework that keeps pace with the changes in our labour market by providing new protections for those in low-paid work and the gig economy, and by encouraging flexible working. It will balance the needs of both employers and workers, ensuring everyone benefits from flexibility.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord Callanan: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy currently employs 21 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members of staff at SCS1; 3 at SCS2; 1 at SCS3; and 0 at SCS4.

Department of Health and Social Care

Social Services: Pay

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the conclusions from the Migration Advisory Committee in their report Review of the Shortage Occupation List: 2020, published on 29 September, regarding the consequences of the end of freedom of movement between the UK and EU on the recruitment of staff in the social care sector,what plans they have to address low wages in social care.

Lord Bethell: The Government does not have direct responsibility for pay awards in adult social care in the same way as for other areas of the public sector. The Government nonetheless maintains oversight of the social care system and we are committed to raising the profile of the social care sector. The Government expects local authorities to commission care at the rate that allows providers to employ the staff they need to deliver quality care.We are taking action to support adult social care providers to recruit domestically. In order to attract more people to the sector we ran a national recruitment campaign. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to promote adult social care careers to jobseekers, and we have launched an online recruitment tool as part of this.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what due diligence and tendering process they followed when awarding a contract to Platform-14 for personal protective equipment (PPE); what was the total contracted sum; and what proportion of the PPE supplied was found to be usable by the NHS.

Lord Bethell: Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March 2020. Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. These include a direct award due to extreme urgency or the absence of competition. Under the regulation contracting authorities may enter into contracts without competing or advertising the requirement.Suppliers will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental terms and conditions.Several contracts have been awarded to Platform-14 for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) under the emergency regulations, with a total value of £276 million. Delivery is progressing for these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct aninquiry into the use of Do Not Resuscitate orders in care homes for (1) elderly people, and (2) people with learning or cognitive disabilities, during the COVID-19 pandemic; whetherNHS England and NHS Improvement plan to publish national guidance on the use ofsuch orders; and if so, when such guidance will be published.

Lord Bethell: The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions were used during the coronavirus pandemic, building on concerns that the CQC reported earlier in the year. Interim findings are expected to be reported later this year with a final report in early 2021.NHS England and NHS Improvement are working on revised, patient-facing guidance on DNACPRs and where to get support. The guidance will be published shortly following consultation with key stakeholders and people with lived experience.

Attorney General

Office of the Advocate General for Scotland: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are in the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: In line with reporting protocol and for disclosure control purposes, BAME figures for the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland cannot be disclosed due to the small population. The Office of the Advocate General for Scotland has 5 members of staff total at SCS grade.

Attorney General: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at the Attorney General’s Office at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: In line with reporting protocol and for disclosure control purposes, BAME figures for the Attorney General’s Office cannot be disclosed due to the small population. The Attorney General’s Office has a total of 5 members of staff at SCS1, SCS2, SCS3 and SCS4 grades combined.

Wales Office

Holyhead Port: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about reconstructing the entrance to the port of Holyhead.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: Although Holyhead Port falls within the Welsh Government’s purview, it is strategically significant to the UK. It is the UK’s second busiest ‘Roll on-Roll off’ port and its commercial freight tonnage is increasing year on year. It is vital to the UK economy and specifically to North Wales, the North of England and the Midlands. It is therefore positive that the North Wales Growth Deal, which is jointly funded by the UK and Welsh Governments, is currently expected to invest significantly into developing the port’s infrastructure. This includes renovation works to the harbour breakwater, connectivity improvements from the railway station to the ferry terminal, additional hardstanding, as well as additional capacity for large freight and cruise ships to berth in the harbour.

Holyhead Port: Large Goods Vehicles

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government aboutthe provision of parking sites forlorries travelling through the port of Holyhead after 31 December.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: The UK Government is working hand in hand with the Welsh Government on preparations for the end of the Transition Period. This includes planning for the handling of traffic at and around Welsh ports, including Holyhead.

Department for Education

Union Learning Fund

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the independent evaluation of the Union Learning Fund by Exeter University, Union Learning Survey 2018 Results, published in September 2018, whether the Department for Education undertook a further assessment of the Union Learning Fund; and if so, whether (1) that assessment demonstrated a decline in outcomes, and (2) they plan to publish the findings of the assessment.

Baroness Berridge: The department did not undertake a further formal evaluation of the Union Learning Fund following the evaluation by Exeter University.As part of the Spending Review process, the Department has assessed its priorities across all its objectives, including considering the evidence from the Unionlearn evaluation. The decision to discontinue funding for Unionlearn beyond this financial year reflects the consolidation of investment to support retraining in major new programmes, including the National Skills Fund, which support progression to higher levels of attainment.

Academic Year: Coronavirus

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to finishthe winter school term early in order to ensure that children can be isolated in theirfamily groups,ahead of any extended family gatherings that may take place in line with social distancing regulations.

Baroness Berridge: The department does not currently have plans to make changes to school holidays. We will keep this under review.As usual, parents should plan their holidays within school and college holidays and avoid seeking permission to take children out of school during term time.Attendance at school is vital for children’s education and wellbeing, particularly for the most disadvantaged. Time out of school leads to lost learning now but will also affect children’s ability to learn in future.

Lifetime Skills Guarantee

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the training provided as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee to those who have a level three qualification and have been made redundant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Berridge: The government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for the National Skills Fund.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, recently announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.Adults, who already have a level 3 qualification, can access Advanced Learner Loans. Advanced Learner Loans are used by many thousands of adults each year to train and retrain at level 3 and above, and prior qualification levels are not a barrier to eligibility. Loans will continue to help remove one of the main barriers to learning (finding the means to pay up-front fees) where other sources of funding are not available (for example, due to prior qualification levels).My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, also recently announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021, the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be announced in due course. Alongside the National Skills Fund, the department has been working to provide further support in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. In his Summer Economic Update, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced investment of over £500 million to deliver a package of support for people to access the training and develop the skills they will need to go on to high-quality, secure and fulfilling employment. The Skills Recovery Package included:Apprenticeships: A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 24 or below and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021.Traineeships: £111 million to triple the scale and reform traineeships for those aged 16 - 24 (25 with an Education, Health and Care plan), with additional funding available to providers in 2020-21 to support 30,000 new places. We have also introduced, for the first time, payments of £1,000 per trainee for employers who offer new or additional work placements (up to 10 trainees).Careers information, advice and guidance: £32 million over two years to help 269,000 more people of all ages receive advice from the National Careers Service.Sector-based work academy programme (SWAP): £17 million to triple the number of SWAP placements in 2020/21, enough funding to support an extra 40,000 job seekers with additional training opportunities and the chance of a job.In addition, the recently announced expansion of The Skills Toolkit means that people can now choose from over 70 courses, covering digital, adult numeracy, employability and work readiness skills, which have been identified as the skills employers need the most. These courses will help people stay in work or take up new jobs and opportunities.In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department for Work and Pensions has also established an alternative service to their usual face to face offer. People will be able to access redundancy help and job search advice on the DWP’s new Job Help campaign website. There is also information on gov.uk and updated information packs provided to employers to help them signpost employees to the support that is available. The support available includes:Connecting people to jobs in the labour market though our Find a Job website, virtual jobs fairs, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and mentoring circle opportunities.Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).In addition to this, the new Kickstart scheme is underway. This is a £2 billion programme which will create thousands of new jobs for young people aged between 16-24 who will be offered six-month work placements with wages paid by the government.The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education to aid the post COVID-19 recovery.

National Tutoring Programme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that academic mentors are in schools by the end of the year.

Baroness Berridge: The National Tutoring Programme will support some of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils to catch up on missed learning. The academic mentors strand, delivered by Teach First, will support schools in the most disadvantaged areas to recruit high quality academic mentors and train and place them as members of school staff, to support pupils with one-to-one or small group tutoring.Teach First are working to scale up the provision of mentors, whilst remaining strongly focussed on quality and accessibility. Academic mentors will go through a thorough selection process, bespoke training and are subject to safeguarding procedures.The process of training mentors and matching them to schools is well underway, and we expect our first group of mentors to be in schools by November. We expect all mentors to be appointed by February 2021.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the representation of BAME individuals in school governance roles.

Baroness Berridge: The department is committed to increasing diversity amongst governors to ensure that boards reflect the communities that they serve. We fund the Inspiring Governance service, run by the charity Education and Employers, to support the recruitment of appropriately skilled and diverse volunteers onto the boards of schools and academy trusts.Education and Employers report that 20% of all people being appointed to boards with the Inspiring Governance service this financial year are from a black and minority ethnic background.The department is also supportive of the joint Inspiring Governance and National Governance Association’s ‘Everyone on Board’ campaign, which aims to increase the participation of people from ethnic minorities and young people in school governance.

Department for Education: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are atthe Department for Education at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Baroness Berridge: The numbers of senior civil servants who have declared their ethnicity as BAME is detailed in the attached table. HL9046_table (pdf, 63.7KB)

Union Learning Fund

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allocate a proportion of the National Skills Fund to projects that aim to directly engage learners in the workplace, replacing the current work undertaken by Union Learn, following the decision to cease funding for the Union Learning Fund.

Baroness Berridge: The government has taken the decision not to continue to provide grant funding to Unionlearn in the next financial year. This decision should not be seen in isolation but as part of the department’s overall plans for improving the skills offer.This was a difficult decision. However, we need to prioritise how we use our resources in these challenging times and have decided to concentrate on a number of major investments in further education. The government has announced it will introduce a £2.5 billion National Skills Fund to help adults get the skills they need. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, recently announced that for adults, who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, also recently announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021, the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be announced in due course.Alongside the National Skills Fund, the department has been working to provide further support in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. In his Summer Economic Update, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced investment of over £500 million to deliver a package of support for people to access the training and develop the skills they will need to go on to high-quality, secure and fulfilling employment. The Skills Recovery Package included:Apprenticeships: A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 24 or below and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021.Traineeships: £111 million to triple the scale and reform traineeships for those aged 16 - 24 (25 with an Education, Health and Care plan), with additional funding available to providers in 2020-21 to support 30,000 new places. We have also introduced, for the first time, payments of £1,000 per trainee for employers who offer new or additional work placements (up to 10 trainees).Careers information, advice and guidance: £32 million over two years to help 269,000 more people of all ages receive advice from the National Careers Service.Sector-based work academy programme (SWAP): £17 million to triple the number of SWAP placements in 2020/21, enough funding to support an extra 40,000 job seekers with additional training opportunities and the chance of a job. In addition, the recently announced expansion of The Skills Toolkit means that people can now choose from over 70 courses, covering digital, adult numeracy, employability and work readiness skills, which have been identified as the skills employers need the most. These courses will help people stay in work or take up new jobs and opportunities.The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education to aid the post COVID-19 recovery.

Union Learning Fund

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted with (1) the Trades Union Congress, and (2) individual trade unions, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted with (1) employers, and (2) business and trade representative bodies, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consultedwith (1) training providers, (2) Sector Skill Councils, and (3) further education organisations, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.

Baroness Berridge: The government did not consult with any outside bodies prior to making the decision not to continue to provide funding for the Union Learning Fund after 31 March 2021.We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the Government’s Spending Review. The decision to cease funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As of 30 June 2020, 7.1% of SCS1 and 8.3% of SCS2 civil servants in the FCDO self-identified as BAME. In order to comply with the GDPR and in order to protect the anonymity of individual members of staff, unfortunately we cannot provide percentages for SCS3 and SCS4 civil servants as the actual numbers for staff self-identifying as BAME are fewer than five.

Maher al-Akhras

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the detention of Maher al-Akhras.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: While we have not raised this particular case, we remain concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees.

Palestinians: Protest

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made to the government of Israel about reports that four Palestinians were injured by the Israel Defence Force during demonstrations in Kufur Qaddoum.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Whilst we have not made representations on these reports, we have repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about incidents of excessive use of force by the IDF and urge restraint in the use of live fire. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 October (HL8342),what assessment they have made of the government of Israel's treatment of human rights in the Palestinian Occupied Territories; what representations they have made to that government about reports of attacks on mosques and Christian churches by Israeli citizens; and whatsteps they are taking to ensurethat that government treats people of all religions equally.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Defending Freedom of Religion or Belief, and championing human rights, is a policy priority for the UK. We will continue to work to improve the lives of Palestinians. We condemn all forms of violence, including against places of worship, and raise this with the authorities when necessary.

Israel: Coronavirus

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase collaboration with Israel with regard to (1) medical devices, (2) remote care, and (3) cutting-edge medical technology, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Embassy in Israel has brought together numerous UK/Israel expertise exchanges covering vaccine development, testing and surveillance. Both sides continue to look to one another as new science developments are made. We have distributed widely to UK colleagues a brochure outlining many Israeli technologies and R&D projects related to COVID-19, of which several have already been followed up by both NHS England and NHSx.

China: Human Rights

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 23 September (HL7966), what plans they have to support calls for the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate reported human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Evidence about the range and extent of human rights violations is well-established, including evidence from the Chinese authorities' own publicly-available government documents and satellite imagery. The UN has made clear recommendations to China, including to release those arbitrarily detained in camps. We have repeatedly called on China to urgently implement those recommendations and allow unfettered access to the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN experts, most recently on 6 October at the UN Third Committee alongside 38 other countries.

Laos: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the religious freedom of minorities in Laos; and what representations they have made to the government of Laos about its duty to uphold Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have encouraged the Lao Government to fulfil all of its international human rights obligations, including during the British Ambassador's call on the Lao Foreign Minister in late 2019. The UK made a statement at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council in Sep-Oct 2020, which reiterated concerns around restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression in Laos.In the questions submitted to the Universal Periodic Review of Laos in January this year, we asked what steps the Lao Government was taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief, specifically referencing ending the incidence of detaining or imprisoning Christians for unauthorised religious activities. We welcome Laos' engagement with the Universal Periodic Review process.

Palestinians: Schools

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israelabout the planned demolition of a Palestinian school that was built in Ras Al-Tin without planning permission from that government.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is seriously concerned by the possible demolition of a Palestinian school in Ras Al-Tin by Israeli authorities. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concern with the Government of Israel on 13 October, alongside European partners. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We recognise that Palestinians face severe difficulty in securing building permissions for homes and infrastructure in East Jerusalem and Area C. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

Palestinians: Travel Restrictions

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that travel restrictions have been place on Palestinian mothers with new-born babies who want to travel abroad via Allenby Bridge unlesssuch babies are registered with that government as well as by the authorities in Palestine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Whilst we have not made representations on these reports, we remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank, including to and from Jordan. The UK Government continues to raise our concerns about Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement and access into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities.

Cyprus: Beaches

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey aboutthe opening of the Varosi beachfront in Cyprus; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that UN Resolutions 550, 789, and 2537 are upheld.

Baroness Sugg: The UK continues to be concerned by the announcement of 6 October to open the beach within the fenced-off area of Varosha, and the subsequent opening of the beach on 8 October. We have made representations to Turkey through our Embassy in Ankara both prior to and following the announcement. These have been reinforced by conversations held with the Turkish Representative at the UN in New York and with the Turkish Ambassador in London.In response to the announcement, the UK called for the UN Security Council to hold closed consultations on the matter on 9 October. The UK continues to strongly support the numerous Security Council Resolutions covering the issue of Varosha, notably 550 (1984) and 789 (1992). In this regard, we support the UN Presidential Statement reaffirming its support for the relevant Security Council Resolutions and expressing deep concern regarding the announcement.

Garo Paylan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey following reports that Garo Paylan has been subjected to intimidation tactics including (1) threats to his safety, and (2) hate speech.

Baroness Sugg: We have seen press reports that the People's Democratic Party (HDP) MP, Garo Paylan, has been targeted publicly by a Turkish research centre over his comments on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We have also noted reporting that the Turkish authorities may be preparing a case against him. We have made it clear previously to Turkey that we expect the government to undertake any legal processes against MPs, party officials, elected mayors, human rights defenders and journalists, fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We will continue to engage closely with Turkey to encourage the full protection of fundamental rights of all people, particularly in the areas of freedom of expression and assembly, press freedom and the treatment of detainees.

Mubarak Bala

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have on the status of Mubarak Bala.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government remains concerned about the continued detention of Mubarak Bala and we are monitoring his case closely. We continue to make representations to the Nigerian Government on Mr Bala's case. Most recently, our High Commissioner raised the case with Foreign Minister Onyeama on 6 October, and with the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force on 18 September. The Minister for Africa discussed the case with Foreign Minister Onyeama in May. We welcome the news that Mr Bala was granted access to legal representation on 7 October and that a hearing is scheduled for 15 October. We continue to stress to the Nigerian Government the importance of a transparent investigation that respects Mr Bala's human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief.Defending freedom of religion or belief for all remains a UK Government priority and we will continue to use our voice internationally to protect this human right.

Kenya: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of reports of human rights abuses on the Kakuzi farming estate in Kenya; and what plans they have to discuss these reports with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Marks and Spencer’s, who have all acquired avocado crops from Kakuzi,including regarding theirobligationsunder the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Baroness Sugg: We are concerned by reports of human rights abuses on the Kakuzi farming estate in Kenya. We take all allegations of human rights abuses seriously and are closely following the investigation by the Kenyan authorities. The UK has longstanding work with Kenya to strengthen accountability and human rights. We will also continue to use our voice in multilateral fora to hold Kenya to its human rights obligations, for example at the Universal Periodic Review of Kenya conducted at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year.Officials at the British High Commission in Nairobi will discuss the reports of human rights abuses on the Kakuzi farming estate at upcoming meetings with Human Rights donor groups in Nairobi. The UK supermarkets concerned have all suspended trade with Kakuzi pending the findings of their own and Kenyan authorities’ investigations.The UK is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery. Under the 'Transparency in Supply Chains' provision in the Modern Slavery Act, all large businesses in the UK with a turnover of £36 million or more are required to publish an annual transparency statement detailing the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their business and supply chains. This enables consumers, investors and campaigners alike to hold businesses to account. The UK Government engages regularly with business and civil society to ensure we strengthen our collective response to modern slavery and we have committed to strengthen the transparency in supply chains including specified reporting topics, introducing a single reporting deadline and extending the requirement to the public sector.

Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty: Children

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by End Child PovertyChild poverty in your area 2014/15 – 2018/19, published n October, which found that more children are living in poverty.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: We have examined, from what has been published, Loughborough University’s methodology for estimating housing costs by constituency. We are unable to assess how robust the method for modelling local housing costs is and we do not know the process used for calibrating the local measures with regional level statistics on child poverty from Households Below Average Income. National Statistics on the number and percentage of children in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. These remain the most accurate published measurements of low income. The latest HBAI statistics (2018/19) show that since 2009/10, 100,000 children have been lifted out of absolute poverty (both before and after housing costs) and levels of combined material deprivation and low income for children are at their joint lowest level.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pheasants

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of pheasants in the UK, and (2) their impact on other wildlife.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The number of pheasants and their impact are being considered as part of a review by Defra that was initiated in response to a Judicial Review. The findings of the review will be published in due course.

Agriculture Bill 2019-21

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the estimated costs arising from an amendment agreed to by the House of Lords tothe Agriculture Bill; and if so, (1) how, and (2) whether they publish that estimate.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government's assessment of the estimated costs of Lords Amendment 18 to the Agriculture Bill was published in the explanatory notes to the Lords Amendments to that Bill.

Beavers: South West

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the reintroduction of beavers into the South West of England in order to encourage the use of natural solutions to improve flood management.

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will fund the reintroduction of beavers into appropriate catchment areas of the South West of England in order (1) to improve local flood resilience, and (2) to promote biodiversity.

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will classify the Eurasian beaver as a native species that can breed and live freely in Great Britain; and if so, (1) when, and (2) under what circumstances, they will do so.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out this Government’s commitment to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of native species where the benefits for the environment, people and the economy are clear. We recognise the range of benefits that beavers may provide with regard to flood management, biodiversity, water quality and resilience to climate change. On the 8th of August the Government announced that beavers on the River Otter, the only licensed wild population, would be allowed to remain there permanently and will be allowed to continue to expand their range naturally. We plan to hold a public consultation early next year on our national approach for beaver reintroduction, and our strategy for the management of the potential negative impacts of this native species in the wild.  Natural England, with support from EA, are continuing work to help inform the Government’s national approach to the management and release of beaver in England and have been engaging with key stakeholders.

Countryside

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Prime Minister on 6 October where he referenced the “new wild belts” that will “mark the landscape” by 2030, (1) how much of the area of (a) England, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales they expect that the wild belts will cover; (2) what processes will be used to create them; (3) to what extent will they be in (a) urban areas, and (b) rural areas; and (4) what designations will the wild belts be allocated.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Prime Minister recently set out his vision for a greener and transformed Britain, with millions of trees, wilder landscapes for people to enjoy and a commitment to protect 30% of land for biodiversity by 2030. We want to strengthen our existing network of protected areas and explore ways of driving up the biodiversity value of these areas. Implementation of domestic biodiversity is a devolved matter in the UK. In England the Government is introducing a range of new incentives to restore ecosystems and create wilder landscapes including the Nature for Climate Fund, Nature Recovery Fund and the recently launched Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Our Environment Bill will introduce Local Nature Recovery Strategies, which will provide a spatial planning tool for nature, allowing local government and communities to identify priorities and opportunities for nature recovery across our protected areas, green belts and wider farming landscape. Local authorities and public bodies more generally will be required to have regard to Local Nature Recovery Strategies. The term ‘wild belt’ has been used to refer generally to wilder areas around towns and cities but adopted most recently in campaigns by the Wildlife Trusts to set a new designation within a reformed planning system. Just as we want to see more and better access to nature around our towns and cities, the role of planning in further protecting any areas that are being restored should be considered alongside our ambitious planning reforms. The public consultation for the Planning for the Future white paper is due to close on 29 October. The Government will be carefully analysing all responses before publishing our response.

Home Office

Home Office: Consultants

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent on consultancy services by theHome Office and its related agencies in the 2019/20 financial year; and what was the (1) cost of, and (2) reason for, each such contract.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The 2019/20 Home of Annual Report and Accounts (page 89) shows spend on consultancy services, as set out in the table attached.The Information on cost and reason for each such contract could only be provided at disproportionate cost.Table - HL9016 (docx, 45.1KB)

Asylum

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what costs have been occurred so far in this financial year as a result of any increase in the number of people arriving in the UK by boat in order to claim asylum.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Whilst the numbers of people arriving in the UK by illegally-facilitated small boats have increased this financial year, numbers of those arriving by other illegal means, such as air, have fallen.The Home Office publishes data regarding its financial accounts on the GOV.UK website as part of its financial reporting procedures, and also as part of the transparency agenda. The latest report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-to-2020.We do not routinely publish breakdowns of operational Departmental spending, and are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Slavery

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have planned any eventsor activities to mark the UK Anti-Slavery Day 2020; and whether they will support the passage of the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill through Parliament.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This year we marked Anti-Slavery Day by publishing the UK Modern Slavery Annual Report 2020, which provides an update on work undertaken over the last year to tackle the scourge of modern slavery. Minister Atkins hosted a virtual roundtable event with First Responder organisations to hear about best practice and the key challenges First Responders face. A wide range of stakeholder events around October 18 raised awareness of modern slavery, and the work underway to tackle it.Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill:The Government is committed to identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery and has recently established an ambitious programme to transform our system of victim identification and support. As part of this, we are looking closely at the legislative framework in this area.The Government does not, however, support the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill in its current form and has different proposals for supporting victims based on a more individualised understanding of their cases and needs. Specifically, the Government does not agree that:a. confirmed victims should be automatically granted leave to remain for 12 months. Immigration decisions for victims of modern slavery are made on a case-by-case basis, considering the individual circumstances of the case; norb. that entitling all confirmed victims to 12 months’ worth of support is the best approach. In 2019 the Government introduced a needs-based support system for confirmed victims of modern slavery. The Government recognises that all victims are individuals with their own personal recovery needs arising from their modern slavery experiences. The new needs-based assessment system has been developed to ensure that individual needs are considered and supported with a tailored move-on plan, rather than a blanket approach to victim support.

Home Office: Twitter

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government who operates the Twitter account of the Home Office @ukhomeoffice, and whether ministerial agreement is required for any content posted.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The @UKHomeOffice account is managed by the Department’s communications team.Tweets are not routinely agreed by Ministers before they are posted.

Independent Office for Police Conduct: Staff

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed full-time by the Independent Office for Police Conduct; and of those, how many are (1) female, and (2) BAME.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As at 31 March 2020 (the end of the last full financial year), the IOPC employed 1,032 people on both a full-time and part-time basis. Of those, 639 were female and 168 were BAME. These figures include those on secondment but exclude agency staff/contractors.

Fire and Rescue Services: Staff

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed full-time by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services; and of those, how many are (1) female, and (2) BAME.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As at 31 March 2020 (the end of the last full financial year), the Home Office employed 179 people to work at HMICFRS on both a full-time and part-time basis. Of those, 95 were female and 33 were BAME. These figures exclude those on secondment into HMICFRS, as well as agency staff/contractors.

Illegal Immigrants: English Channel

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement made by the Clandestine Channel Threat Commander on Twitter on 11 October that ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to stop these crossings’; whether legal advice was sought about that statement; and whether such statement accords with the law.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has been clear that we will do everything we can to stop these crossings and make this route unviable.

College of Policing: Staff

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed full-time at the College of Policing; and of those, how many are (1) female and (2) BAME.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As at 31 March 2020 (the end of the last full financial year), the College of Policing employed 637 people on a full-time basis. Of those, 367 were female and 60 were BAME. These figures include those on secondment, as well as agency staff/contractors.

Immigration: Reform

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for reforming immigration procedure; when they last reviewed those procedures; and what plans they have to undertake another such review.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In 2016, and again in 2019, the British people voted to take back control of our borders and introduce a new points-based immigration system that will work for the whole UK.The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Exit) Bill delivers on these votes by ending the automatic right to live and work in UK for EU migrants and, when the Transition period with the EU ends, we will have control of our immigration system for the first time in decades.We will be free to implement the changes we need to restore trust in the immigration system and deliver our new fairer, firmer, skills-led system from 1 January 2021.We will continue to review the system and the underpinning Rules.

Asylum

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of people awaiting a decision on their asylum claims.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum Operations has been exploring several options to get the system moving again following the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier in the year. There are plans to speed up asylum interviews and decision making with steps being taken to improve efficiency, focusing on process improvements, better quality decisions and transformation.We are also seeking to put in place temporarily, resource from within the Home Office and other government departments to assist with outstanding claims, along with other alternatives as a short-term measure.We are determined to fix our broken asylum system. An asylum system should provide safe haven to those fleeing persecution, oppression or tyranny. But right now, ours enables organised criminals to elbow the most vulnerable to the side.Which is why the new system will be fairer and firmer. It will be compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes. And it will stop the exploitation of the broken system by those who come here illegally and often make unfounded or meritless claims to remain.

Immigration: Sports Competitors

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to set out changes to the UK points-based immigration system as it applies to sportspeople.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to retain the Sportsperson visa (Tier 2) standardunder the new Immigration Rules to be adopted from 1 January 2021.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) clergy, (2) sports players, and (3) sports coaches, instructors and officials, as classified under the Standard Occupational Codes system, in their new proposed definition of a skilled worker.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the endorsement requirements published on the websites of sports’ governing bodies for visas under the points-based immigration system ensure that playing opportunities for (1) resident sportspeople, and (2) youth development, are protected as required under Immigration Rules.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the endorsement process for visa applicants for sports players, sports coaches, instructors and officials is operated exclusively by sports’ governing bodies and not sports clubs.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.

Immigration

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the reasons stated for the refusal of settled status or pre-settled status for the 16,600 applicants who have been refused to up to September; and how many failed applicants fall into each category of refusal used by the Home Office.

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many of the persons who have been granted pre-settled status will become eligible for settled status by meeting the condition of five years residence, in each month between now and 30 June 2021; and how many would become eligible, in the absence of any disqualifying reasons, in each month following June 2021.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The latest published information to the end of June 2020 shows that of 3,060 EU Settlement Scheme refusals, 99% were refused on eligibility grounds and 1% were refused on suitability grounds. The latest figures can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics.Further analysis of EU Settlement Scheme refusals to the end of September 2020 will be published in the upcoming quarterly release in November 2020.Many of the eligibility refusals relate to cases that had been under consideration for several months and, in most cases, had been subject to repeated unsuccessful attempts to obtain missing information or evidence from the applicant.The Home Office cannot assess a person’s eligibility for settled status until they make an application to the scheme, and therefore cannot state how many of those granted pre-settled status will be eligible in the periods sought.A person granted pre-settled status can apply for settled status as soon as they qualify for this. They will be eligible for settled status once they have completed five years’ continuous residence or where other criteria for eligibility for settled status without that length of continuous residence are met.

Police: Recruitment

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about (1) the number, and (2) the percentage, of police officers recruited since 1 January, who are (a) female, and (b) BAME.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our unprecedented drive to recruit 20,000 extra police officers over the next three years provides a generational opportunity to increase diversity in policing.We are working closely with police forces across the country, including the Metropolitan Police Service, to support all forces become more representative of the communities they serve. This has included an inclusive national campaign and improvements to national data collection on police diversity and recruitment, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.The Home Secretary has been clear that all forces must do more to increase diversity and in August wrote to all Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners urging them to take the opportunity presented by the Police Uplift to increase diversity.

Police: Recruitment

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police officers have been recruited in England and Wales since 1 January; and of those, how many are (1) female, and (2) BAME.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As part of the Government’s commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by March 2023, the Home Office publishes data on the number of new recruits in the quarterly “Police officer uplift, England and Wales” statistical bulletin. The latest release covers the period to June 2020.This publication contains information on the number of new recruits, by month, since November 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-officer-uplift-quarterly-update-to-june-2020Between January and June 2020, 7,549 officers have been recruited into the 43 police forces in England and Wales.Data on the ethnicity and gender of new recruits are not currently published as part of this quarterly release. However, we continuously review the range of metrics within the release and will endeavour to include this information in future statistical releases.The next release of this bulletin is scheduled to be published on Thursday 29 October.Police Officer Uplift Quarterly update - June 2020 (pdf, 404.7KB)

Immigration: Appeals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what percentage of, immigration decisions were overturned on appeal in 2019.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: HM Courts and Tribunals Service publish appeal outcomes data on a quarterly basis. A link to the data for the last quarter of 2019 is provided here;https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019The table in FIA­_3 contains the information requested.  Tribunal Stats - Oct-Dec 2019 (pdf, 1030.9KB)

Asylum

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about changing the criteria for eligibility to claim asylum in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: To date, the Government has not held discussions with international partners about changing the criteria for eligibility to claim asylum in the UK.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Regional Planning and Development

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Covid Recovery CommissionPaper One: Levelling up communities, published on 11 October; and what metrics they have developed to judge the success of their ‘levelling-up’ agenda.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is focusing on levelling up economic opportunity across the whole of the United Kingdom and considers a wide range of evidence in developing levelling up policy. The Spending Review will agree priority outcomes and metrics with departments which will be published. Strong local leadership is a key pillar of our levelling up agenda, and the English Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper will set out our plans for further devolution in England in due course.

Cabinet Office

Political Parties: Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the levels at which donations to political parties are recordable and reportable.

Lord True: UK electoral law sets out a stringent regime of donations controls to ensure that only those with a genuine interest in UK electoral events can donate to political parties and to ensure transparency of those donations.All donations over £500 need to be recorded by political parties and checked for permissibility. Certain donations need to be reported to the Electoral Commission, including all donations from impermissible donors, all donations over £7,500 and donations that are over £1,500 and come from a source that parties have already reported in the same calendar year. To ensure transparency about party funding, donation reports are published by the Electoral Commission on its website.The Government is committed to upholding the integrity of our electoral system. As part of that, we are taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.

Treasury

Public Expenditure: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 7 October (HL8550) and (HL8549), what plans they have to provide copies of the official-level guidance and templates setting out their priorities for the Comprehensive Spending Review; and how they will ensure that funding assessments are ‘rural proofed’ and do not unreasonably disadvantage rural communities.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Official-level guidance is a technical document internal to government. At the Comprehensive Spending Review this autumn, the government will set out further details on our plan to level up economic opportunity across all nations and regions of the country by investing in infrastructure, innovation and people.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Export Licensing Unit

Lord Risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences were granted by the Export Licensing Unit for the exportation of (1) art, (2) antiques, and (3) cultural goods, in each year between 2015 and 2020.

Baroness Barran: The number of export licences granted by the Art Council’s Export Licensing Unit in a particular year is published and laid before Parliament in the annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee’s Report for 2018-19 is expected to be published shortly. Figures for 2019-20 are not yet available. The earlier reports can be found here, and are attached:https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-collections-and-cultural-property/rcewa-annual-reports 2016/17 (pdf, 3274.6KB)2017/18 (pdf, 3372.9KB)

National Lottery: Coronavirus

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to using theNational Lottery Distribution Fund exclusivelytosupport the arts, heritage and sports industries to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic over the next three years.

Baroness Barran: Income raised by the National Lottery funds good causes in four broad areas, which are set out in the National Lottery Act 1993: communities 40%, arts 20%, heritage 20%, and sport 20%. The government remains committed to funding these four areas and funds are distributed by 12 Lottery Distributing Bodies (LDBs) at arm’s length from government. The National Lottery distributors have directed up to £600m of funding to UK charities and organisations to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included specific support for the Arts, Heritage and Sports sectors: Arts Council England reallocated £144 million of National Lottery funding to form their £160 million emergency response package to support individuals and organisations across the cultural sector to deal with the immediate impact of the Covid-19 crisis.The National Lottery Heritage Fund has provided £50 million through its Heritage Emergency Fund, which was set up in April to support people and organisations in the heritage sector as a response to the Covid crisis. Phase 1 of this Fund provided grants between £3,000 and £50,000; in phase 2 of the Fund, applicants could apply for grants of up to £250,000.The National Lottery has contributed £172m towards Sport England’s £210m fund to support the sport and physical activity sector through COVID-19. This includes the £35 million Community Emergency Fund, which is helping community sports clubs and exercise centres to remain open during the pandemic. More information about the support the National Lottery is providing in response to Covid-19 can be found on the National Lottery Promotions Unit website:https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/coronavirus-pandemic-response In addition to National Lottery funding, the government has also provided specific support for these sectors, including investing an unprecedented £1.57 billion, the biggest ever one-off cash injection into UK culture, to tackle the crisis facing our most loved arts organisations and heritage sites. Similarly, the government has provided substantial support to the sport sector, including tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, alongside urgent work to support sport clubs as a result of clubs not being able to admit spectators to stadia from the 1 October.

Members: Correspondence

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the letter sent by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 July about making public funds available to the Royal Albert Hall; and when they plan to respond to the follow-up letters sent on 19 August, 9 September and 1 October.

Baroness Barran: A response was sent to the Noble Lord on 26th October.

Sports: Coronavirus

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government to what level new COVID-19 infection cases must fall before they allow sports venues to reopen to spectators.

Baroness Barran: The Government fully understands the decision not to reopen stadia on October 1 is frustrating for sports fans. But in the face of rising infections and further restrictions it would not have been possible. The decision was taken on advice from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Scientific Officer (CSA) and takes into account travelling to and from games held in stadia, where there may be further social interaction and the risk of virus spread. The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance.I am grateful to those clubs who have piloted the return of spectators so far. Work continues at pace to find solutions that will allow crowds safely back into stadia as soon as possible. The Government will continue to work closely with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this. Spectators will return to stadia when it is safe to do so, and we will keep this under review. The decision to do so will involve a wider set of metrics than just the level of infections.

Gambling

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the economic impact of problem gambling; and what estimate they have made of how likely problem gamblers are (1) to experience family break up, (2) to commit crime, (3) to be unemployed, (4) to lose their homes,and (5) to have compromised life expectancy, compared with the rest of the population.

Baroness Barran: Public Health England is currently undertaking a major evidence review looking at the prevalence of gambling health harms and their social and economic burden. Publication of this study has been delayed by Covid 19 and is expected in early 2021. The government does not hold figures on the proportion of problem gamblers who experience family break up, commit a crime, experience unemployment, lose their homes, or have a lower than average life expectancy. However, the Health Surveys for Scotland and England and the Gambling Commission’s survey of gambling behaviour in Wales collect data on the differing incidence of problem gambling amongst different demographic groups. The 2016 combined Health Survey and the 2018 Health Survey for England estimated that the rate of problem gambling amongst those who are unemployed is 1.9%. The 2016 Health Surveys for England and Scotland also give data on the incidence of problem gambling amongst those who have probable mental ill health (2.2%), a low well-being score (2.6%) and who consume alcohol at a level of increased risk (0.8%).

Gambling: Ombudsman

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the potential merits of establishing a gambling ombudsman.

Baroness Barran: The House of Lords Select Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry recommended that a statutory ombudsman be created for the gambling sector. The government is carefully considering this and other recommendations made by the committee and will respond in due course. In addition, the Public Accounts Committee has recommended that the government and the Gambling Commission should make an assessment of gaps in the existing arrangements for redress open to consumers, and set out a plan to resolve any gaps identified. The government has agreed with this recommendation and has indicated that it will write to the committee in the coming months to provide an update on progress in this area.

Think Tanks: Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to require think tanks who seek to influence government policy and the policy of registered political parties to publish the (1) source, and (2) amount, of donations they receive to fundtheir work.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of donations made to think tanks to influence government policy and the policy of registered political parties, which are impermissible to be donated to registered political parties under the requirements of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Baroness Barran: Think tanks which have opted for charitable status must ensure they abide by the rules that apply to all charities under charity law. Charities can undertake political activity but only in pursuit of their charitable purposes, and only to the extent that the political activity remains subsidiary to the charity’s purpose and does not become an end in itself. Charities must not participate in any party-political activity, or support a political party or candidate. The Charity Commission sets this out clearly in its guidance on campaigning and political activity which was published in 2008.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speaking-out-guidance-on-campaigning-and-political-activity-by-charities-cc9Most charitable think tanks carry out their charitable purpose well. There are many examples where important contributions have been made in a responsible manner and in line with the law. Where charities, including charitable think tanks, do not operate in line with the law, or where they cross the line in terms of political activity, the Charity Commission, as the independent charity regulator and as tasked by Parliament, has the legal responsibility to hold charities to account under charity law and deal with those matters proportionately on behalf of the public.The Government encourages greater transparency as a matter of good practice, but it is not a legal requirement for charities to publicly disclose the identity of individual donors. Donor anonymity is an important consideration in ensuring people have the confidence to donate to charitable causes they care about.

Charitable Donations: Coronavirus

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of charitable donations.

Baroness Barran: DCMS has been working closely with the sector to build a strong understanding of the financial and operational impacts of the pandemic.We're aware that for some charities income streams, including public fundraising and trading income, have been adversely affected by COVID-19. We will continue to work with the sector to understand these impacts and how we can best support their work during the pandemic and through recovery.